Name our school anything other than Koson

Recently, our parents all received a newsletter informing the student body that our school, STEM High and Academy will be renamed "Koson STEM." While many agree that the name "STEM High" is generic and confusing, many students believe that this name lacks credibility and logic. While the play on "Boson" and "K" is clever, many believe that this could be problematic when applying to colleges. The name Koson does not carry the connotation of academic rigor. We also find it concerning that neither students nor teachers were consulted before changing the name we thought we would be putting on resumés and college applications.

The goal of this petition is to prevent the name change to "Koson STEM." We propose that the name shall be blocked and alternative options considered. The school could be named after a person, place, or idea. However, if a suitable candidate is not found by July (the proposed official time for the name change), then a name change should not occur.

The email states: "The process included interviews, surveys, discussions, observations, competitive industry reviews and analysis. We learned so much."

Can we see a report on some of this data? Were other names even considered, and if so, what were they? If administration is going to hand us a name without giving us say in what it is, can they at least support the name they chose with the research and analysis they claim they did?

While we strongly suggest that student input be considered while selecting a new name, this is not an official concern of the petition. We are more concerned with administration picking a name that conveys the rigorous, real-world education provided by our beloved school.

The email states: "This fall, our school will finally have the name and brand it deserves!"